Multiple-cylinder motor



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. B. BENHAM.

MULTIPLE CYLINDER MOTOR.

No. 380,847. Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

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(No Model.) I 3 SheetsSh eet 2.

' E. B. BENHAM.

MULTIPLE CYLINDER MOTOR. No. 380,847. Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

iUNrrnn TATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIJAH B. BENHAM, OF HOLYOKF, MASSACHUSETTS.

MULTIPLE-CYLINDER MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,847, dated April 10, 1888.

Application filed August 29, 1887. Serial No. 248,140. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIJAH B. BENHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampdcn and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Multiple-Cylinder Motors. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to multiple-cylinder motors, and pertains to that class thereof having a series of cylinders arranged in a fixed position in the same plane and radiating from a common center; and the invention consists in certain improvements in the details of the con struction of the above-mentioned class of mo- 5 tors, all as hereinafter fully described, and

pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is afront elevation of a multiple-cylinder motor embodying my improvements, the motor in said figure being shown with the circular plate which covers the crankchamber removed and with portions of the feed-pipes connected to its base. Fig. 2 is a 7 vertical section of the base of the motor and a fro'jnt elevation of the valve-case thereof.

" ,Bis a sectional view and a rear elevation, *tly in section, of said valve-case and the alve=adjusting nut. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the valve-case, part shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation, Fig. 6 a side elevation, partly in section, and Fig. 7 a front end elevation, of the valve of the motor. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the crank, a portion of the driving-shaft, and one ofthe pitmen. Figs. 9 and 10 are perspective views of detail parts, hereinafter fully described. Fig. 11 is a vertical section of the head of the motor, of the valve-case and valve-adjusting nut, and of the valve-case extension. Fig. 12 is a vertical section of the valve-case and a side elevation of the valve therein, said figure showing a portion of the driving-shaft in the valve and the crank and crank-pin on the end of said shaft. The sectional portion of the rear elevation of the valvecase shown in Fig. 3 is taken on the line as a; of the accompanying sectional view of said case in that figure.

In the drawings, A is the base of the motor, of cast-iron or other suitable metal, having a suitable laterally-extending foot thereon, through which bolts are passed, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby the motor is rigidly secured in an upright position. A feed-pipe, 2, conveying water to the motor, maybe connected on either side of the base, both of said pipes communicating with a receiving-chamber, 3, (see Fig. 2,) in the base of the motor, from which chamber the water ascends through a passage, 4, to the valve'chamber of the motor. Said valvechamber 8 is formed in the valve-case 6, and is divided by the ring nut 9 into two sections or parts, a and b, section 0 being the receiving and section b the discharge or exhaust section. Said ring-nut is screwed to the inner wall of the valve-chamber and has one end engaging with the rear side of the enlarged front end, 6, of the valve, (see Fig. 12,) the valve passing through and having a rotary motion in said nut. By means of said ring-nut the bearingsurface (I (see Fig. 7) of the said front end of the valve is held against and adjusted to a proper pressure on that part of the rear side of the head12 of the motor where the open ends or ports of the water-passages 13 are formed, said passages 13 radiating from the front end of the valve-chamber and leading to and through the side of each cylinder 14. near the outer end of the latter, as shown in Fig. 11. By means of said nut 9 the contact of said bearing end d of, valve 10 is so regulated that any waste of water is avoided and no undue friction of the bearing parts or surfaces can exist, and, furthermore, by means of said not any wear of the valve is easily taken up and an external bearing is provided for the valve between its ends, which contributes to support the valve in a line with the shaft 15,which passes through it.

The passage 5 in the stand part of the moto r-base (which is of semicircular form in crosssection and partly surrounds the said passage 4-) communicates with an outlet'opening in the latter in the rear side of the base, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

passage, 2, leading from the rear portion, b, of the valve-chamber, communicates with the said passage 5 in the upper end of the basestandard. The cross-section form of said passage z is shown in the bottom of the valvecase 6 in Fig. 4. The said valve-case has an opening, 1), through its upper side to afford access to the notched border of the nut 9, so that the latter may, by any suitable instrument, be turned to screw it toward and from said head e on the valve for the purposes of adjusting the valve, as above described. Said opening 0 is closed by any suitable cap, which may be secured thereover by screws or other proper means.

The valve 10, constructed preferably from brass or composition metal, is illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 12, and is of cylindrical form, excepting its enlarged front end, e, above referred to. In said front end is formed an annular chamber, 10, which is adapted to receive a tubular projection, y, in conjunction with said ring-nut in the valve-case on the inner side of the motor'head 12, (see Fig. 11,) surrounding the shaft-hole a through said head. The said projection 3 serves independently of the shaft 15 of the motor to steady the said bearing end of the valve, keeping it in line, and conducing to retain its front end in such position that its bearing part d is held invariably in the same plane with the adjoining side of the motor-head, against which the end of the valve rotates, thereby avoiding a certain displacement of the bearing end of the valve relative to said side of the motor-head, which has heretofore occurred more or less when the valve has been held in line solely by the said shaft. By said engagement of the end of the valve with the head of the motor the position of the valve is not changed by any wear of the shaft or of its bearipg where it passes through the head 12. The valve is keyed by its rear end at K, Fig. 5, to the shaft 15, whereby it is made to revolve with the latter. The valve has a bearing near its front end just back of said chamber to on the shaft 15, (see dotted lines in Fig. 6,) and also back of the perforated enlarged cylindrical part 9 thereof. The inner walls of said part 9 of the valve are sufficiently removed from the sides of the shaft within it to form an annular chamber surrounding said shaft, which communicates with the open front end of the valve by a passage, 3, (shown by dotted lines in said Fig. 6,) and the exhaust-water, which leaves the cylinders 14 through the passages 13, enters said open end of the valve and escapes through said pas-' sage 8 into said annular chamber, and from the latter through openings 2' in the walls of said chamber into said water-passage z, and thence into the passage 5 in the base-standard, whence it runs free from the motor through said opening in the rear of the base.

The rear end of the valve has a packing sleeve or thimble,16, secured therein (see Figs. 5 and 6) by screws, as shown,to hold packing, 17, around the shaft and prevent the escape of any water through the rear end of the valve. A key-seat, 18, is made on the rear end of the valveto provide for keying thereon an eccen- 7O cylinders receive and discharge at each revolution of the shaft, and thus the motor becomes a water-meter to measure the quantity of water it uses.

That part of the valve extending rearward] y beyond its enlarged chambered portion g is inclosed within an extension, 20, of the valvecase, having flanges thereon, through which suitable bolts are placed to secure the extension to the case. The extension 20 has a pack: ing sleeve or thimble, 21, in its end, secured by suitable screws, to hold packing, 22, against that part of the valve which passes through said extension and prevent the leakage of wa ter therethrough. The said extension 20 of the valve-case is made separate from the case, as described, to facilitate finishing the valvechamber in the latter, in which the nut 9 is fitted, as described.

The valve-case is secured to the rear sideof the motor-head 12 by suitable bolts passing through a flange, o, thereon.

The shaft 15 extends through valve 10, as described, and on its rear end (which is shown broken off in Fig. 12) is secured any suitable pulley or gear, with which is connected any machinery that the motor is to drive. The opposite end of said shaft passes through the passage 20 of the motor-head and terminates within the crank-chamber J in the outer side of thehead, (see Fig. 1,) and has fixed thereon the crank 28, having the crank-pin 24. The said crank-chamber J is covered by a suitable cover of disk form (notshown in the drawings) secured to the head 12 by screws entering the holes t, shown around the border of said chamher.

The outer ends of the cylinders, which radiate from the center of the head 12, as shown in Fig. 1, are closed by the screw-plugs 25. The pistons 26 are shown partly in full and partly in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and in said fig ure the pitmen 30 are shown with their converging ends against the crank-pin 24c and without the below-described bearing and securing devices.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, the latter-named figure illustrates a hardenedsteel flanged thimble, 27, which is adapted to be placed on the crank-pin 24 in the position shown in Fig. 8, to providea hard durable surface on said pin against which the ends of the pitmen bear, and which may be renewed when worn, the flange on said thimble covering the ends of the arms 28 on the ends of the pitmen, which extend in a line with the sides of the crank-pin. When the said plate, which constitutes the cover of the crank-chamber J, is

secured over said chamber, as aforesaid, it approaches so near the flanged end of the thimble 27 as to retain the latter on the crank-pin in the position shown in Fig.8. A split strap, 29, having its ends secured together by a suitable screw, is placed around said pitman-arms, and the ends of the pitmen are thereby connected to the crankpin. In practice said strap is so fitted around the pitman-arms as to leave its ends through which said screw is put to unite them a little way apart, to the end that the strap may be contracted to take up for any wear between the pitmen and crankpin.

The improved construction of the valve shown and described in this application is not claimed herein, but forms the subject-matter of another application of even date herewith, Serial No. 248,142.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The motor-head constructed with a series of cylinders radiating from a common center, having a shaft'passage therethrough, substantially as described, a series of water-passages therein extending from one side of said head to said cylinders, and the tubular projection y, surrounding said shaftpassage, combined with the valve-case 6, the hollow valve 10, through which said shaft passes, having an annular recess in its end to receive said tubular extension, and the ring-nut 9 in the inner wall of said case, forming an external bearing for said valve between its ends, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination, the pitmen 30, having the arms 28 thereon extending in a line With the crank-pin, integral with the pitmen, and having their bearing-surfaces all in the same plane opposite the sides of said crank-pin, the thimble 27, interposed between the arms of said pitmen and the crank-pin and having a flange thereon covering the ends of said arms, and a ring surrounding said arms and crankpin, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination, the motor-head 12, the valve-case 6, secured to said head and having the valve'chamber therein, the valve 10, having the enlargement e, the ring-nut 9, surrounding said valve, having a screw-connection with the interior of said chamber, and en gaging with said enlargement 6, whereby said valve is held adj ustably against said head and said chamber is divided into the receiving and exhaust sections a and b, respectively, and inlet and discharge passages in said case conimunicating with said valve-chamber sections, substantially as set forth.

4. The valve-case 6, containing the valvechamber and having the inlet and discharge passages 7 and 2, respectively, leading to and from opposite ends of said chamber, combined with the ring-nnt 9, screwed into said chamber and dividing it into a receiving and an exhaust section, and the hollow valve 10, extending through said nut and having open ings through its walls communicating with the exhaust section of said valve-chamber, substantially as set forth.

5. The motor-head 12 and the valve-case 6, secured to the rear end of said head, combined with the valve-case extension 20, having the packing-thimble 21 therein and secured to the valvecase, and the valve 10, extending through said case 20 and surrounded by said packing thimble, substantially as set forth.

ELUAH B. BENHAM.

' Witnesses:

H. A. CHAPIN, G. M. CHAMBERLAIN. 

